Swift-Acting Union Cop Catches Alleged Serial Burglar

UNION, NJ — A swift-acting Union Police lieutenant was able to capture an alleged burglar after recognizing him from a recent crime alert from a neighboring town.

On Aug. 13 at about 6 p.m., Lt. Robert Christie had just gotten off duty and left police headquarters when he saw a man, later identified as Karriam Kennedy, aka Kareem Hawkins, 42, from Newark, in Union Center.

Christie recognized Kennedy from the alert and called for Detective Lieutenant Mark Martin and Detective Sergio Pereira to come out. They staked out an office building in the area of 934 Stuyvesant Ave. where Kennedy was inside.

Officers stopped Kennedy, who had a large screwdriver on him, when he came out of the rear of the building, police report.

Kennedy was found to have numerous criminal arrest warrants and was arrested.

Officers Luis Santiago and Antoine Colbert checked out the building and found an office that had been forced open and a video surveillance system in that office that showed Kennedy had broken into the office, according to police.

Colbert and Santiago found three more offices that also had damaged doors from Kennedy's attempts to force his way in, police report.

Kennedy was charged with the burglary and the damage to the other offices, possession of the burglary tool (the screwdriver), and obstruction of justice. Nothing was known to be missing at this time.

Detectives also found that Kennedy resembled a person wanted in another burglary in Hillside last month and was wearing the same outfit, police report.

Kennedy was sent to the Union County Jail and will have a bail hearing set.

(Image via Shutterstock)

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